The preschoolers of the Tempe campus Child Study Lab are breaking through glitter and macaroni jewelry barriers to prove that art can be created at any age, with any material.
The children’s artwork will be displayed in the lab’s fifth annual art show and silent auction now through Saturday on the first floor of the psychology building.
“This is our fundraising event of the year,” said Lab Director Beth Wiley. “We do it to raise money for supplies, playground equipment and items that we wouldn’t be able to purchase otherwise.”
In the past, the show has raised up to $3,000 and the money was used to refurnish the 36-year-old lab and to purchase an outdoor stage, garden planter and learning materials. Wiley hopes to at least match that this year.
“We’re just trying to raise as much money as we can,” she said.
Among other items on the lab’s wish list are new outdoor instruments, a loft for the classroom and a puppet theater.
“We had a puppet theater, but it was no longer in working, safe condition,” she said.
Psychology senior Kelly Williams, a lab student teacher, said the money raised will also help the lab get toys that facilitate children’s learning and cognitive abilities, like counting money and reciting the alphabet.
“We try to provide toys for them here that they wouldn’t find at home,” she said.
Art and snack supply contributions are graciously accepted, said psychology junior and lab student teacher Kelsey Oliver.
“Our lab is non-profit, and we pretty much run on money we make from charity events and from donations,” she said.
The young artists range in age from 15 months to 5 years old and have created up to three art pieces for the show.
Wiley said the pieces go “beyond paint on paper.” The children have created sculptures, self-portraits and multimedia on canvas.
“It’s a part of development to get used to different consistencies of materials on your hands and what it looks like to create something on your own,” Williams said.
All of the pieces in the show were created individually with the exception of one piece, which all of the children artfully contributed to.
The children spent two weeks creating a large horse, made out of a sawhorse, and decorated it with foil, paint, tissue paper and yarn.
“The sawhorse was an open-ended art piece,” Wiley said. “There was no picture or prerequisites guiding them for what it was supposed to look like.”
Both Williams and Oliver are students in Directed Child Study, PGS 294/344.
In this class, students learn how to interact with children and maintain a trusting relationship, as well as spending time in the child study lab.
“It’s really important for us to learn how to stay on the children’s level and not talk down to them,” Williams said.
The art show allows the lab to open up their doors to the ASU community, Wiley said.
“It’s a great opportunity for people to see the developmental program and to get an idea of what we’re about,” she said.
Reach the reporter at jodi.cisman@asu.edu.
